Sliding caster



plil 11, 1933. Q A SCHACHT 1,903,687

SLIDING CASTER Filed Sept. 28, 1931 Patented pr. 11, 1933 UNITED STATES CLIFFORD A. SCHACHTQ OF HUNTINGTON,.INDIAN A SLIDING CASTER Application filed September 28, 1931. Serial No. 565,621.

This invention relates to sliding casters for chairs,beds, and other articles of furniture or the like, the present application being a continuation-in`part of my copending ap- 5 plications Serial No. 536,026, filed May 8,

1931; and Serial No. 539,936, led May 25,

The principal object of the invention is to provide resilient sliding casters economical to manufacture,adapted to be applied to yfurniture legs, said casters having a relatively iat resilient body, with caster pintles mounted therein in such manner as to be permitted a yielding universal rocking movel ment with respect to the resilient body, whereby when the article of furniture vis tilted the universal rocking movement of the pintles will allow the bases of the casters to remain fiat on the surface of the floor at all times, thereby preventing the casters from scarring or otherwise injuring the floor or floor covering.V f

Another object of the invention is to provide the resilient body with a sliding shell 5 of hard surfaced material, and to provide the resilientbody with simple and eificient means for preventing the resilient body from being contracted suficiently so as to be re movable from the shell after once assembled, said means however maintaining the center of the resilient body soft and pliable, but rendering the edges of the body firm and radially non-compressible.

@ther minor objects of the invention will be hereinafter set forth.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates several practical embodiments thereof to enable others to adopt and use the same; and will summarize in the claims the novel features of construction, and novel combinations of parts, for which protection is desired. f

Fig. l is a small perspective view of a chair equipped with my novel casters, showing the chair tilted backwardly butthe casters on the rear legs seated squarely on the floor surface;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section tlrough one form of caster with pintle and F ig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the resilient body of Fig. 2 detached from the sliding shell; v

Fig. 4; is a perspective view 0f the caster shown in Fig. 2, illustrating the universal rockingmovement of the pintle; f

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through a modification of the caster, shown G0 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section through a further modified form of caster;

F ig. 'i' is an enlarged vertical section through a further modified form of caster; 5J Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical section through still further modified forms of caster;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical section through a further modified formr of caster; Fig. 10 is an enlarged vertical section through a further modified form of caster;

Fig. 11 ris a bottom plan view, partly broken away, of the body, pintle and washer shown in Fig. 10 with casing removed. 7"

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, my novel sliding caster comprises a fiat resilient body 1 of molded rubber or other suitable yieldable material, said body being preferably circular and of substantial thickness, and having its edges rounded as at 1a,said bodyhaving an axially disposed recess 1b in its upper end of greater diameter than the pintle 2. Below recess 1b is a reduced axially disposed bore 1c adapted to snugly receive the lower end of the pintle 2 in order to maintain the pintle 2 normally in vertical position while yieldably permitting universal rocking movement thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 4; and below the reduced bore 1c is an enlarged axially disposed recess 1d adapted to receive the head 2a of pintle 2, which head 2a may be conveniently formed by riveting the lower end of thestandard pintle 2 over the underside of a circular washer 3 snugly tting the enlarged bore 1d and abutting against the shoulder .separating the bores 1c and 1d, said washer 3 preventing the riveted head 2a of the 'pintle from pulling upwardly through borerf 1c. The recesses or bores 1b, 1c and 1d are pref- 100 erably molded in the rubber body although same may be cut therein after the body is formed. The pintle 2 is inserted from the top side of the caster through recess 1l and the head 2a riveted over the washer 3 which is inserted into recess 1d from the underside, or which may be embedded in the body, as in Fig. 5.

Around the lower portion of the resilient body 1 is a cup-shaped shell 4 of metal, bakelite, glass, wood, or any other hard surfaced material which will slide without injuring the iioor. Shell 4 is adapted to t tightly around the lower end of body 1, and is provided at its center with the raised .socket seat 4a extending into the recess 1d with the riveted head 2a of the pintle resting in the socket.

Embedded in the lower periphery of the resilient body 1 during the molding process is a metallic ring 5 (Figs. 2 and 3) disposed substantially in the bottom face of the body adjacent its outer periphery, whereby when the molded body is inserted in a partially .formed metallic shell 4 and then the sides of the shell contracted around the upper end of the body, as at 4Z), the body will be permanently locked in the shell since the ring 5 will prevent radial contraction of the body. The ring 5 however does not affect the resiliency of the central portion of the body. Instead 'of a metallic ring a fiat metal plate 5a (Fig. 5)

could be embedded in the body or a canvas ply 5b (Fig. 6) could be so embedded.

The caster pintle is preferably made with an offset collar or shoulder 2c disposed within the recess portion 1?) of the body 1, said collar or shoulder limiting the downward movement of the plug or plate P mounted on the pintle which carries the furniture leg L, said downward movement under weight of the furniture compressing the iiat flexible central portion of the resilient body 1. The collar or shoulder 2c however on the pintle may be omitted if desired, and the shank of the pintle may carry any type of plate or plug, as for instance, the plug P', Fig. 9. If the collar 20 is omitted a pintle with a preformed'enlarged head (Fig. 8) could be used, which pintle could be inserted from the bottom. of the body.

By the above construction the pintle 2 is permitted a universal rocking motion with respect to the body l and shell 4, whereby when the chair or other article of furniture is tilted the shell 4 will remain seated squarely on the surface of the floor while the pintle 2 may readily assume the angnlarity of the furniture leg L.

The caster shown in Fig. 5 is substantially the' same as that shown in Fig. 2, except that the washer 3a is molded in the rubber body instead of being inserted therein when assembling the pintle; and the metallic ring 5 is replaced by a flat perforated plate 5a.

In Fig. 6 a modification of the caster shown in Fig. 2 is illustrated, in which a canvas ply 5b is molded in the rubber body instead of the metallic ring 5 or plate 5a. The pintle and body are otherwise the same as in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 7 a further modification of Fig. 2 is illustrated in which the body 10 is made of smaller diameter than in Fig. 2, but of similar shape, and the ring 5 is omitted, the soft rubber being retained in the shell 14 by the resiliency of therubber.

In Fig. 8 a modification of the pintle shown in Fig. 7 is illustrated, in which the pintle collar (2c of Fig. 7) is omitted, and the lower end of pintle 7 formed with a ball head 7a. This pintle 7 with the washer 3 may be inserted in the body 10 from the underside and requires no riveting of the head. The body 1 is the same as in Fig. 7 as is also the shell 14.

In Fig. 9 the body 10 and shell 14 are the same as in Fig. 7, but the pintle 8 is modified to carry a plug P suitable for the legs of metal beds, a washer 9 being interposed between the plug P and the top of the body l0.

In Figs. 10 and 11 a further modification of caster is shown in which the body 11 is provided with a relatively large washer' 12 for the head 13a of pintle 13. The edge of washer 12 extends nearly to the periphery of the body 11 and is provided with serrations 12a. In this modification the washer 12 serves the double function of preventing the body 11 from being distorted to remove same from the shell 24 and also prevents the head 13a of the pintle 13 from pulling through the body while permitting rocking of the pintle.

I claim:

1. A sliding caster comprising a resilient body having a bore extending therethrough; a pintle in the bore; a shell having its edges rolled inwardly around the resilient body to hold the body in the shell; and means in the body for preventing radial compression of the body and separation from the shell after assembly.

2. In a sliding caster as set forth in claim 1, said means comprising a fabric ply molded in the body adjacent the bottom thereof.

3. A sliding caster comprising a resilientV body of substantial thickness having a bore extending therethrough with enlarged recesses at its top and bottom; a pintle in said bore adapted to pivot universally of the body having an enlarged head disposed in the bottom recess; a cup-shaped shell having its edges rolled around the body to hold the body in the shell; and means in the body for preventing separation of the shell and body after assembly.

4. In a caster as set forth in claim 1, said means comprising a washer molded in the body at the upper end of the bottom recess for engagement with the pintle head, said washer extending adjacent the periphery of the body to prevent radial compression of the body after assembly in the shell.

5. A sliding caster comprising a resilient body of substantial thickness having rounded edges and having a bore extending therethrough with enlarged recesses at its top and bottom; a pintle in said bore adapted to pivot universally of the body having an enlarged head disposed in the bottom recess; a cupshaped shell having its edges rolled around the body, said shell having a raised seat entering the bottom recess for the pintle head; and means for preventing distortion of the edges of the body for removal from the shell after assembly.

6. A sliding caster comprising aresilient i body of substantial thickness having rounded edges and having a bore extending therethrough With enlarged recesses at its top and bottom; a pintle in said bore adapted to pivot universally of the body having an enlarged head disposed in the bottom recess; a Washer molded in the body at the upper end of the bottom recess for engagement With the pintle head, said Washer extending adjacent the periphery of the body to prevent radial compression and separation from the .shell after assembly; and a cup-shaped shell having its edges rolled around the body, said shell having a raised seat entering the bottom recess for the pintle head.

CLIFFORD A. SCHACHT. 

